Apparatus for toning photographs.



No. 703,671. Patented July I, I902;

A. SCHWARZ. APPARATUS FOR TUNING PHOTOGRAPHS.

(Application filgad May 10. 1697.)

3 Sheets-Sheet L .(No Model.)

No. 703,67l. Patented-July I, I902. A. SCHWARZ.

APPARATUS FOR TUNING PHOTOGRAPHS.

(Application filed. May 10, 1897.: (No Model.) 3 Sheets-She,et 2.

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N0. 703,67l. Patented July I, I902.

A. scHwARz.

APPARATUS FOR TUNING PHOTUGRAPHS.

(Application filed May 10, 1897.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-8heet 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT @EEiCE.

ARTHUR SOHWARZ, OF BERLIN-SOHONEBERG, GERMANY.

APPARATUS FOR TGNENG PHUTOGRAPHS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 703,6? 1, dated July 1,1902.

Application filed May 10,1897. Serial No. 635,864. (No model.)

To LLZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR SoHwARZ, a subject of the German Emperor,residing at Berlin-Schoneberg, Germany, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Apparatus for Toning Photographs, of which thefollowing is a specification.

In the manufacture of photographs the sensitized paper is fed throughthe several baths for developing, toning, and fixing the pictures. Withthis operation as hitherto carried out only one and the same toning ofthe photographs is obtained, because the strip of paper is continuallyfed at a uniform speed through the several baths. I have devised a newapparatus whereby the treatment of the strip of sensitized and exposedpaper is also carried outin a continuous manner, but which is soconstructed that it enables me to obtain different shades in the toningof the photographs. I have attained this purpose by devisingarrangements enabling me to shorten or extend at will the period duringwhich the photographs are treated in the baths, either by increasing ordecreasing the speed of feeding of the paper through the baths or byimmersing the loops of paper more or less deep into the baths, wherebythe speed of the travel of the paper remains unchanged.

I have illustrated my new apparatus in the annexed drawings, making apart of this specification, same letters of reference being used for thesame parts in the several views, and wherein- Figure 1 shows anapparatus wherein the toning of the photographs can be regulated bychanging the speed of travel of the paper through the baths and alsoembodying a de- Vice enabling me to prevent the loss of a part of thepaper when same should tear in the course of the process. Fig. 2 shows aplan view, on a larger scale, of the mechanism for changing the speed oftravel of the paper. Fig. 3 shows a sectional front view of a bathembodying a device to change the depth of immersion of the paper. Fig. ashows a sectional side view of the same bath, the paper being immersedvery deep. Fig. 5 shows a similar View with a very shallow immersion ofthe paper. Figs. 6 and 7 show details of construction. Fig. 8 shows asectional front view of a bath equipped with a modified constrnction ofthe device for regulating the depth of the immersion of the paper.

The exposed paper P is, as usual, wound upon the reel R and is fed overthe feedingrolls IV W W, &7C., through the baths I, II, III, and IV, theloops of paper being weighted down in each bath by meansof the smallrolls 0*. The feeding-rolls W WV V &c., are rotated at uniform speed bythe shaft L by means of worm-gears N. At its end the shaft L carries adisk (4 in frictional contact with a frictiolrroller b, rigidly mountedupon the shaft B, so that the shaft L is rotated by the shaft B. Thisshaft B is adapted to be moved in an axial direction by means of thehandwheel C, Fig. 2, so as to shift the point of contact of thefriction-rollerl) and the disk at. It is obvious that the farther theroller 1) is removed from the center of disk a the slower the rotationof the shaft L will be, and vice versa. These changes in speed may ofcourse be effected gradually by means of the mechanism described, and bythese means I am enabled perfectly to regulate the speed of the travelof the paper through the baths.

The shaft B is rotated by abelt d,laid over the stepped pulleysD D D asshown in Fig. 2,and this arrangement affords another means roughly toregulate the time of treatment of the paper; but as each rate of speedas obtained by the shifting of the belt d can be further minutelychanged by means of the shifting of the point of contact between roller5 and disk a the mechanism described affords the means eXactlytoregulate the speed of the travel of the paper.

If it should be desired not to change the speed of travel of the paperor, if besides this, it should be preferred to use another means forchanging the toning of the photographs, I make use of the arrangementillustratedin Figs. 3 to 7. To this end the opposite walls of thereceptacles are provided with rails that are extended parallel up to theceiling of the work-room. These rails should be formed so as to preventa lateral motion of the rollers c, running thereon, and should bepreferably of the form shown in cross-section in Fig. 6. A frame F,preferably of the form shown in Fig. 8 and provided at its four cornerswith rollers e, corresponding in shape to the rails c, is adapted to bemoved vertically up and down between said rails. This operation isconveniently performed by means of a counterweight Q. The frame E isprovided at its lower end with a guide-roll 7', adapted to guide thepaper in the bath. As shown in Fig. 6, the pivots r of the roll 0' arehoused inslots r in the downwardextending projections r of the frame Eand are kept in place by pins W. A clamping device F, the cheeks ff Fig.7, of which clasp the rail (2 and are clamped together by the screwfprevents any unintentional motion of the frame E. The clamping device Fis hinged to the frame E and is moved back in the position shown indotted lines in Fig. 3 if the frame is to be taken out of the rails. Theframe and the rails are made of metal, hard rubber, or any othersuitable material which is not affected by the baths. The time duringwhich the paper is submitted to the action of the bath if it travels atuniform speed depends upon the length of the travel through the bath.With the device just described the length of this travel can be variedat will by shifting the position of the frame. Fig. 4 shows the framelowered into the bath, and Fig. 5 shows it in a raised position. In thisWayanydesired shadeoftoning can be obtained, and if the position of theframe for a certain tone is once ascertained all pictures will beuniformly toned.

The arrangement described embodies a superstructure which in some casesmaybe undesirable and which is done away within the modificationillustrated in Fig. 8.

The loop of paper depends into the baths from the feeding-roll TV and isweighted down by the guide-roll r. The axle of roll o is housed inslide-pieces r that slide on the rail 6 when the roll r is displaced.Close to the slide-pieces 1- which may of course be substituted by smallrollers, are attached cords s and s by means of a loop or aring, asshown so that when the two cords s and s are pulled down at the sametime and with the same force the rollr is lowered parallel to the travelof the paper. The downward motion of the roll 0' in this construction iseffected by the weight Q acting upon the cords s and s, while the upwardmotion of the roll 1' is effected by the upward pull of the strip ofpaper traveling through the bath. For this p urpose the cord 5- ispassed over the bottom roll. a; and then passes upward over the roll Xand is then passed between the clamping-- rollers 31 3 to the weight.The cord .5" first passes around roll :20, thence to roll :11, andthence parallel to cord 3 to the weight Q. If the weight Q and theweight of the guideroll 9' are sufficient to overcome the upward pull ofthe strip of paper moved by the feeding-roll W, the weight Q and thecords s s will pull the guide-roll r downward as soon, as these cords bereleased. As in this case the pull at both ends of the guide-roll r isentirely the same, said roll 0' will be lowered and remain parallel tothe axle of the feeding-roll W.

In order to secure the guide-roll 'r at any desired height, the cords ss are passed between clamping-rollers 1 7 the roller 11 having a fixedaxle, while the axle of roller 1 is movable in the oblique slot 1f theroll 3/ is pulled upward, so that its axle becomes located in the upperpart of the slot .2, the clamping action on the cords s s is releascd,the weight Q moves downward and pulls the guide-roll "r, andconsequently the loop of paper, deeper into the bath. If the roller p isthen released, it will pull back by its own. weight the cords s s, andowing to its oblique slot it clamps the cords immediatcly against roller11 so that the desired adjustment is obtained. If, on the contrary, thepaper is desired to become further immersed, it is only necessary tolift the weight (-3, and the roll 0* will then be raised by the pull ofthe paper, and as the cords will thereby move in the reversed directionthe clamping-rollers 3 1 are automatically opened. As soon as thedesired position is reached the weight Q is again released and under theinfluence of its weight the clamping action of the rollers 2 11 is atonce restored. It is obvious that the movement of the guide-roll 0' maybe obtained by other means; but these are merely modiliations, theobject in view be ing to adjust the roll 1' by a downward pull.

In all the arrangements thus far described it is quite possible that themoist paper may tear in the course of its travel through the baths. Ifthe paper tears, which notwithstanding all possible precautions is aptto occur from time to time as it becomes thoroughly moistened by thesolutions,the operation must be interrupted in order to fasten togetherthe two ends. During this time the travel of the paper is interrupted,so that the loop of paper in the toning solution remains subjected tothe action, which in most cases is too long, so that this length ofpaper is spoiled. This more or less frequent loss may be avoided byproviding the driving-shaft for the fceding-rolls with a device enablingme to withdraw the lengths of paper located in the toning and developingbaths whenever the continuous operation of the apparatus should beinterrupted in conquence of a break of the endless band of pa per. Thisarrangementisillustratedin Fig. 1. At any suitable place, preferablybehind bath II, which contains the toning solution, the shaft L is cutand the two ends are connected by an easily-operating coupling or clutch0. The right-h an d end of the shaft L is, moreover, provided with acrank S. Now if the band of paper becomes tornfor instance, afterpassing through bath lI-the belt (1 is shifted to the idle pulley andthe coupling 0 is thrown out of gear by means of the lever 0 or by anyother suitable device. The right-hand side end of the shaft L is nowturned by means of the crank S with equal speed in the oppositedirection, and the end of the strip of paper is taken hold of. It isobvious that in this way the paper in the baths I and II will bewithdrawn from same with the same speed as if the continuous operationhad not been interrupted. Consequently this length of paper, which wouldotherwise have been lost, is now saved.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an apparatus for developing, toning and fixing a long band ofphotographic paper, the combination of a bath containing the necessarysolution, means for moving the long band of paper through the bath,means for regulating the time of treatment of the paper in the bath toobtain the desired shade of toning, and means for reversing thedirection of travel of a part of the paper through the bath in the eventof the band of paper becoming severed in its travel through thebath,substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus for developing, toning and fixing a long band ofphotographic paper, the combination of a series of baths containing thenecessary solutions, means for moving the paper through the series ofbaths at a uniform speed, means for varying the period of time formovement of the paper through the baths, and means for reversing thedirection of travel of a part of the paper through the bath in the eventof the band of paper becoming severed in its travel through the bath,substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus for developing, toning and fixing a long band ofphotographic paper, the combination of a series of tanks, feed-rollsarranged to conduct the paper from one tank to another, a shaft commonto all the rolls for driving the same and carrying a disk, a shiftablerotatable roll in frictional contact with said disk for varying thespeed of the shaft by changing the point of contact between the disk androll, and means for reversing the direction of travel of apart of thepaper through the bath in the event of the band of paper becomingsevered in its travel through the bath, substantially as and for thepurposes described.

4. In an apparatus for developing, toning and fixinga long band ofphotographic paper, the combination of aseries of tanks, feed-rollsarranged to conduct the paper from one tank to another, a divided shaftfor driving said rolls having its members connected together by aclutching device adapted to disconnect the members to permit one memberto rotate independent of the other member, and means for independentlyoperating the disconnected members for withdrawing the band of paper inthe event of the same breaking apart, substantially as and for thepurposes described.

5. In an apparatus for developing, toning and fixing a long band ofphotographic paper, the combination of a series of tanks, feed-rollsarranged to conduct the paper from one tank to another, a divided shaftfor driving said rolls common to all of said rolls and having itsmembers connected together by a clutching device adapted to disconnectthe members in the event of accident to permit one member to rotateindependently of the other member, means for independently operating thedisconnected members for withdrawing the band of paper in the event ofthe same breaking apart, a disk carried by one of said shaft members,and a shiftable rotatable roll in frictional contact with said disk forvarying the speed 'of the feed-rolls through the shaft common to themall when the members of said shaft are connected, substantially asdescribed.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twowitnesses.

ARTHUR SOHVVARZ.

Witnesses:

W. HAUPT, HENRY HASPER.

